Sewing machine



B. T. LEVEIQUE SEWING MACHINE Dec. 10, 1929,

, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb 2 B. T. LEVEQUE 1,738,778

SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 l5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 10, 1929.

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B. T. LEVEQUE SEWING MACHINE Dec. 10, 1929.

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B. T. LEVEQUE SEWING MACHINE Dec. 10, 1929.

Filed Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 10, 1929. B. T. LEVEQUE SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet .5

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SEWING MACHINE- File d Feb. 2. 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 Dec. 10, 1929. LEVEQUE 1,733,778

SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 8 Dec. 10, 1929. B. T. LEVEQUE 1,738,778

SEWING MACHINE File Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 B. T. LEVEQUE SEWING MACHINE Dec. 10, 1929.

Filed Feb. 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 10 Dec. '10, 1929;

B. T. LEVEQUE 1,738,778 I SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet ll Z/Zg.16 v r Dec. 10, 1929. B. T. LEVEQUE 1,738,778

SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 12 Dec. 10, 1929.

B. T. LEVEQUE SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet l5- Dec. w, 1929.

B. T. LEVEQUE SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 14 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 15 2, M g r 3 B. T. LEVEQUE Dec. 1Q, 1929.

SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2,

atented Dec. 12, 1922 BERNARD T. LEVEQUE, F WENHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE CHIN'ERY CORPORATION, OF PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATIQN OF NEW masnv SEWING MACHINE Application filed February 2, 1924. Serial No. 690,265.

The presentinvention relates to shoe sewing machines and is herein shown as embodied in a sole sewing machine of the socalled McKay type, the stitch forming devices of which comprise a straight hookneedle and the work support of which consists of a rotatable horn arranged to extend within the shoe and provided at its tip with a.

needle threading device or whirl for laying the thread in the hook of the needle.

The principal object of the present invention is to produce a machine of the McKay type which will run smoothly and quietly as compared with machines of this type hereto- 7 fore devised, which can be operated at a much higher speed than prior machines, which can be stopped, even when operated at its highest speed, without injurious shock or jar, and which is simple and durable in construction and reliable in operation.

Other objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of various mechanisms of shoe sewing machines.

With these objects inview the invention consists in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed certain of which, while peculiarly adaptedfor use in sole sewing-machines of the McKay type, are also capable of use in other types of sewing machines. The several features of the present invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the several features of the invention as embodied in a chain stitch Mc- Kay sewing machine.

11 the drawings Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the complete machine; Fig. 2 is a detail view in side elevation of a construction which may be used for manually adjusting the throw of the needle when the 5 conditions for sewing are such as not to require an automatic variation of the needle throw; Flg. 3 1s a detail view in front elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.2; Fig.

chine viewed in the same direction as Fig.

1; Fig. 8. is a view in side elevation of the head of the machine viewed in the opposite direction from Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the head of the machine taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 7; Fig. 11 is a view in front elevation of the head of the machine with a portion of the horn and of the Work being operated upon shown in section ;,F i 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but showing the parts of the machine in stopped position; Fig. 13 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the front portion'of the head of the machine; Fig. 14 is a detail View, looking from the rear, of the presser foot, the feed point and feed point carrier; Fig. 15 is a view in side elevation of the parts in Fig. 14 Fig. 16 is a detail sectional plan vie of the front portion of the head of the machine taken on the line 16-16 of Fig. 12; Fig. 17 is a detail sectional plan view of the front portion of the head of the machine taken on the line 17-17 of Fig. 12; Fig. 18 is a detail view illustrating in front elevation certain portionsof the presser foot lifting mechanism, the mechanism for varying the throw of the needle and the feeding mechanism; Figs. 19, 20, 21 and 22 are detail views illustrating e somewhat diagrammatically the operation of the needle, cast ofi and whirl; Fig. 23 is a detail view in side elevation of certain parts at the front of the head of the machine looking in the same direction as Fig. 8; Figs. 24 and 25 are detail views,

looking from the rear, of a portionof the mechanism for raising the presser foot during each stitch forming cycle; F igs. 26 andon the line 30-30 of Fig. 28; and F ig. 31 is a view similar to Fig. 30 with the parts of the heating and heat controlling devices in different positions.

The horn of the machine illustrated in the drawings is of usual construction. It comprises an upper portion 32 arranged to extend within and support the shoe during the sewing operation and a downwardly extending cylindrical portion rotatably mounted in a forward extension of the machine column. A needle threading whirl 86 of usual construction (see Figs. 1, 11 and 19 to 22) is mounted in the tip of the horn and is driven in the usual manner from a vertical shaft 38 extending through andjournaled concentrically with the cylindrical portion 34 of the horn. The shaft 38 is rotated from the driving mechanism of the machine through connections hereinafter described and these connections and the connections between the shaft 38 and the whirl are such that the whirl is given two complete rotations during each stitch forming cycle of the machine.

The driving mechanism of the machine (see F igs. 1 and 4) is a two speed mechanism and comprises two friction cone clutches indicated at 40 and 42. The clutch 40 is splined upon the shaft44 of an electric motor 46 se cured to the base of the machine within the hollow column, and the clutch 42 is splined upon a shaft 48 journaled in the base of the machine within the hollow column in line with the shaft 44. A bevel gear 50 is fast upon the shaft 48 and mounted to rotate on the shaft is a sleeve 52130 which is secured a bevel gear 54. The bevel gears 50 and 54 mesh respectively with bevel gears 56 and 58, of which the gear '58 is formed on or secured to a vertical shaft 60, and of which the gear 56 is journaled upon the shaft 60. A Horton clutch connects the gear 56 with the shaft 60. This clutch is shown in detail in Fig. 5, the spring pressed clutch balls being indicated at 62 and the clutch disk which is secured to the shaft 60 being indicated at 64. As will be obvious this construction permits the shaft 60 to be driven by the gear 56 in the direction of the arrow 66 and also permits the shaft 60 to be driven ahead of the gear 56 in the same direction. The cone clutch 42 is acted upon by a spring 68 which tends to hold it in its extreme position to the right as viewed in Fig. 4, the movement of the clutch being limited-zby a flange on the end of the shaft 48. The cone clutch 40 is actuated through suitable connections from the treadle lever 70. A slight pressure on the treadle moves the cone clutch 40 into engagement with a cooperating clutching surface on the clutch member 42 and thus drives the shaft 48 and through the bevel gears 50 and 56 the vertical .haft 60. A continued pressure on the treac 'le moves both the clutch member 40 and the clutch member 42 toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, until the cone clutching surface of the member 42 engages a cooperating clutching surface on the sleeve 52. This causes the sleeve 52 and gear 54 fast thereon to rotate with the shaft 48 and gear 50 and through the bevel gear 58 to drive the shaft 60 at a higher rate of speed than the gear 56. Thus, when the gear 50 alone is in operation the machine is driven at a comparatively low speed and when both gears 50 and 54 are in operation the machine is driven at a high speed. Either of these speeds may be varied somewhat by varying the pressure applied to the foot treadle.

The connection between the cone clutch 40 and the foot treadle 7 0 comprise a clutch actuating yoke 72 engaging the hub of the clutch at its upper end and pivot-ally mounted at its lower end upon a pivot pin 7 4. The yoke 7 2 is acted upon by a spring 7 6 coiled around the pivot pin '74 and tending to move the clutch member 40 away from the clutch member 42. This movement of the yoke 72 is limited by an adjustable stop screw 78 mounted in an arm extending from the hub of the yoke. To the pivot pin 74 is secured an arm 80 provided with a set screw 82 arranged to engage the yoke 72. To the pivot pin 74 is also secured an arm 84 which extends beneath a roll 86 mounted upon the treadle lever 70 in such position that a depression of the treadle lever depresses the arm 84 and through the pivot pin 74,arm 80 and yoke 72 moves the clutch member 40 towards the member 42.

To give ready access to the electric motor andto the clutch members 40 and 42 and other parts in the base of the machine the lower portion of the hollow column is provided with a movable section 88 hinged to the main portion of the column at 90 so as to be capable of being raised to expose the electric motor, the clutch members and adjacent parts.

To ensure pro er lubrication of the parts of the two speed riving mechanism the parts of the machine frame or base in which the shaft 48 is journaled are shaped to form a chamber 92 in which the gears 50, 54, 56 and 58 are located. The upper wall of this chamber is fbrmed by a cap piece 94 in which the vertical shaft 60 is journaled. The chamber thus formed maybe filled to the desired extent with lubricating oil which may be conveniently supplied through a filling pipe 96.

The shaft 60 is directly coupled to a vertical shaft 98 which, through the bevel gears 100 and 102, drives the sewing cam shaft 104.

The shaft104 is journaled in the head of the machine so as to extend from the front to the back of the machine at right angles to the direction in which the work is fed during the sewing operation. The shaft 98 also drives the whirl in the horn through bevel gears 106, 108, horizontal shaft 110 and bevel gears 112, 114. To enable the gears 106 and 108 to be properly lubricated a portion of the machine column is formed as an enclosing chamber which is kept supplied with lubricating oil through a filling pipe 116.

The straight hook needle of the machine is clamped on the lower end of a needle bar 118 which is reciprocated from a crank pin 120 on the forward end of the sewing shaft 104 through the following connections, which connections are provided for the purpose of giving a variable throw to the needle bar as Work varies in thickness, and also for the purpose of permitting the needle bar to be disconnected from the sewing shaftat the top of its stroke atthe end of the sewing operation. A block 122 is secured to the needle bar and is connected by a link 124 to a lever 126 pivoted at 128 to a lever 130, which lever is secured at its right hand end to a pivot shaft 132. The right hand end of the lever 126, as viewed from the front of the machine, is provided with a curved slot 134 which is engaged by a block 136 pivotally mounted in the upper end of an arm 138 which is adjusted as the work varies in thickness by connections to the presser foot hereinafter described. When the axis of the block 136 is coincident with the axis of the shaft 132 the lever 126 will move with the lever 130 as the lever 130 is oscillated. If the axis of the block 136 is not in alignment with the axis of the shaft 132 the lever 126 willmove with relation to the lever 130 during the oscillation of the lever 130 and the movement imparted to the needle bar increased or diminished accordingly. A lever 140 is mounted at. the side of the lever 130 and at its right hand end is secured to a sleeve 142 surrounding the pivot shaft 132 of the lever 130. A cam slot 144 is formed in the lever 140, which cam slot is engaged by the crank pin 120 so that during the rotation of the cam shaft the lever 140 is continuously oscillated. To cause the lever 130 to oscillate with the lever 140 a latch 146 is mounted upon the left hand end of the lever 130 and is arranged to engage a pin 148 on the lever 140. During the sewing operation the latch is held in engagement with the pin by means of a spring surrounding the pivot of the latch.

The presser foot bar is indicated at 150 and has secured thereto a block provided with a laterally extending arm 152 in the outer end of which a roll 154 is mounted which engages a curved slot 156 in the arm 138. As a result of this construction, as the presser foot rises and falls with variations in thickness in work, the arm 138 is moved to adjust the block 136 along the slot 134 of the lever 126 and thus vary the upward stroke of the neethe slot in the arm 138, may be removed from the machine and an arm 139 may be substituted for the arm 138 and secured rigidly in any desired adjusted position, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, by means of a locking bolt 141 which takes the place of the pivot stud of the arm 138 'and locks the arm 139 rigidly to the machine frame.

The presser foot is forced downwardly against the work by means of a spring 158 surrounding the presser foot bar, and also by a spring 160 W iich surrounds a shaft 162, and is secured at one end to a collar fast on the shaft and at the other end to a collar 164 mounted in the machine frame and adjustable by means of a worm and pinion 166, 168. An arm 170 is secured to the shaft 162 and is connected to a block 172 on the lower-end of the presser foot bar by means of a link 174.

' The presser foot is raised slightly during each cycle of operations to permit the feeding of the work by mechanism which comprises a block 176 secured to the presser foot bar. On the block 176 is pivotally mounted a block 178 inthe lower face of which a V-shaped groove is formed to cooperate with a correspondingly V-shaped edge 180 of a lifting lever 182. This lever extends beneath the block 178 and is pivotally connected directly above the block to an arm 184 projecting from a rock shaft 186. This rock shaft is provided with another arm 188 which is connected by a link 190 to a cam actuated lever 192. The lever 192 extends across the cam shaft 104 and is mounted upon a fixed pivot stud 194. A spring 196, coiled about the pivot stud, acts on the lever to hold its cam roll in contact with the cam 196. To ensure the proper lubrication of the cam surface a felt oil saturated pad 198 is arranged to bear against the periphery of the cam. During each cycle of operations of the machine the shaft 186 is rocked to lift the lever 182 into engagement with the block 178, and continued. upward movement of the lever causes the presser foot to be lifted from the work. In order that the lifting movement imparted to the presser foot may be constant, regardless of variations in the thickness of the work, means are provided for swinging the inclined leading surface.

by a link 204, and the lower end of the lever 202 being provided with an inclined projecting ledge 206 arranged to be engaged by the roll 200. Movement of the lever 202 in one direction is produced by the engagement of the roll 200 with the ledge 206. Movement oi the lever in the opposite direction is produced by a spring 208 coiled around the fixed pivot pin 210 of the lever and arranged to act on the hub of the lever, this movement being limited by a stop screw 212. The arrangement of the edge 180 of the lever 182 with relation to the pivotal connection of the lever 182 with the arm 184 is such that an adjustment of the lever 182 in the manner described, as the work varies in thickness, causes the block 17 8 to be engaged by the lever always at the same point in the upward movement of the arm 184, so that the upward movement imparted to the presser foot is always the same.

The feed point, indicated at 214, is secured in a holder 216 which is pivotally mounted upon a fixed pivot pin 218 projecting rearwardly from a feed point carrier or slide 220; For convenience of assembly and to permit the feed point to be located in the desired position transversely of the direction of' feed the feed point holder is made in two parts having an adjustable tongue and groove connection and secured together by a locking screw 221. A spring 222 coiled around the pivot pin 218 is secured at one end to a collar fast on the pin and at the other end to the feed point holder and tends to swing the holder in a direction to bring it into contact with the end of the feed point carrier 220. The feed point carrier is mounted upon the block 17 2 at the lower end of the presser foot bar by means of pins 224 which project rearwardly from the block through slots- 226 formed in the feed point carrier. These slots have parallel inclined portions and horizontal portions which are in line with each other, the horizontal portions extending in the direction of feed and the inclined portions extending obliquely to the direction of feed. The feed point carrier 220 is actuated by mechanism hereinafter described and, as a result of the pin and slot connections with the block 172, the carrier moves back and forth in the line offeed and also towards and from the work and maintains an unvaried angular position during these move ments. The movements of the feed point carrier cause the feed point to engage and feed the work and the pivotal connection between the feed point holder and ,the carrier permit the feed point to drag over the work during the retracting movement of the carrier. During the latter portion of the backward or retracting movement of .the feed point carrier the feed point engages the presser foot 228 and slides up its grooved The presser feet 228 is adjustably secured in a, groove in a downward projection of the block 172.

The feed point carrier is moved back and forth in the line of feed by a lever 230, the lower end of which is connected by a link 232 to the feed point carrier. The upper end of the lever 230 is provided with a cam slot 234 which is engaged by a roll 236 mounted on the lever 130 at the pivot of the latch 146. The lever 230 is acted upon by a spring which moves the lever in a direction to hold the left hand side of the cam slot 234 in engagement with theroll 236. During the sewing operation the roll 236 travels up and down in the slot 234 against the left hand side of the slot and thus vibrates the lever 230. The spring which acts on the lever 230 is indicated at 238. This spring surrounds a shaft 240 on which a lever 242 is loosely mounted, one end of the spring being connected to the hub of the lever 242 and the other to a collar secured to the shaft. The lever 242 is connected by means of a link 244 to an arm 246 projeqting from a pivot shaft 248 to which the lever 230 is secured.

The presser foot is lifted to relieve the pressure of the work on the horn, and the feed point is moved downwardly into engagement with the work just as the needle emerges from the work, as is usual in machines of this type. As will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 18, however, the feed point 214 reaches the limit of its feeding movement and the presser foot descends and forces the work downwardly against the horn while the needle is still continuing its upward stroke. The insole and outsole of the shoe are thus firmly pressed together and held against the horn while the stitch is being set by the needle, and the entire operation of pulling in the slack thread and exerting a stitch setting strain on the seam is performed smoothly and continuously. By operating the needle, feed point and presser foot in this manner, the formation of uniformly tight stitches is insured even when the machine is run at a high rate of speed.

The machine is provided with connections from the starting and stopping treadle through which the latch 146 may be actuated to disconnect the needle bar from the sewing cam shaft as the needle bar. reaches the top of its stroke. These connections comprise an arm 250 fast to the shaft 240, a rod 252 connecting this arm to the starting treadle, a lug 254 projecting laterally from the arm 250 beneath an extension of the lever 242 and a heavy spring-256 surrounding the shaft 240 having one end connected to the shaft and the other end connected to the frame of the machine. While the machine is running the starting treadle is held depressed so that the arm 250 is held downwardly in a position in which the lug 254 is out of engagement with the lever 242. With the parts in this position msavve the spring 238 is permitted to act on the lever 242 and through the intermediate connections on the lever 230 so as to hold the left hand v through the shaft 240, arm 250 and lug 254 exerts a pressure on the lever 230 which holds the right hand side of the slot 234 against the roll 236. As the roll reaches the upper portion of the slot 234 the upper end of the lever 230 is moved to the left as viewed from the front of the machine, the roll 236 entering a notch formed by a horizontal extension of the slot and a pin 258 at the upper end of the lever 230 engaging an upward projection from the latch 146 and moving the latch to disengage it from the pin 148 on the lever 140. The lever 180 is thus stopped and locked in position with the needle bar at the limit of its upward movement, while the cam shaft of the machine and the whirl and its driving mechanism are permitted to rotate until their momentum is gradually overcome. The operation of the sewing devices of the machine can thus be stopped accurately without shock or jar even when the machine is run at extremely high speed.

Obviously the act of disconnecting the needle bar from its actuating mechanism by the movement of the lever 230 also disconnects the feeding mechanism. The movement of the lever 236 in throwing out the latch 146 also moves the feed point away from the needle so that the feed point will'not interfere with the removal and insertion of work.

In stopping the machine the presser foot may be lifted automatically if desired and held in raised position until the starting treadle is depressed. The presser foot may be lifted by a cam 260 which acts on an arm 262 secured to the rock shaft 162 which, as has been described, is connected to the block 172 at the lower end of the presser foot bar by the arm 170 and link 174. The arm 262 is pivotally mounted upon a block 264 secured to the shaft 162, the pivot of the arm 262 being at right angles to the shaft. A spring 266 is arranged to act'on the arm 262 and tends to move the arm into the position shown in Fig. 27. The arm 262 is connected by a link 268 to the lower end of an arm 270 (see Figs. 10 and 27) pivotally mounted at 272 on the machine frame. This arm 270 is provided with an inclined portion 274 arranged to be engaged by a roll 276 on an arm 278 fast on the shaft 240. W hen the, starting treadle is depressed in starting the machine the shaft 240 is rocked in a direction to move the outer end of the arm 278 upwardly, thereby bringing the roll 276 into engagement with the incline 274 and swinging the lower end of the arm 270 to the left as viewed in Fig. 27. This movement of the arm 270 through the link 268 moves the arm 262 to the left out of engagement with the cam 260 permitting the spring 160 surrounding the shaft 162 to bring the presser foot down against the work. This movement of the rock shaft 162 moves the upper end of the arm' 262 in towards the axis of the cam shaft 104. The arm 262 remains in this position during the sewing operation. When the treadle is released to stop the machine the arm 250 rises until the lug 254 on the arm strikes the lever 242. The parts remain in this position until the needle reaches the limit of its upward movement at which time the shaft 240 is rocked to disconnect the needle from its actuating mechanism. As the needle is disconnected the roll 27 6 leaves the incline 274 of the lever 270 and permits the arm 262 to be pressed laterally against the cam 260. This cam is a spiral or snail cam so that during the continued rotation of the sewing cam shaft the arm 262 is allowed to move laterally and is forced outwardly away from the axis of the shaft until it rides on the cylindrical portion of the cam. This movement of the arm 262 rocks the shaft 162 and lifts the presser foot, the continued rotation of the shaft merely maintaining the presser foot in its raised position. If it is desired to stop the machine without automatically raising the presser foot a pin indicated at 286 may be moved downwardly into engagement with the upwardly projecting portion 282 of the lever 270 and lock the lever against movement in a position in which the arm 262 is out of engagement with the cam 260.

The shaft 132 and sleeve 142 which form the pivots of the levers 130 and 140 are connected by a strong spring 284 (Figs. 8 and 9), one end of the spring being connected to a collar fast to the shaft 132 and the other end of the spring being connected to a collar fast on the sleeve 142. The tendency of the spring is to hold the levers in the'relative position in which abutments 286 and 288 on the levers are in contact. The spring 284 forms a yielding connection betweenthe two levers 130 and 140 which acts to bring the levers into a position in which the latch 146 can engage the pin 148 immediately upon the release of the lever 130 by the movement of the lever 230 in starting the machine. This yielding connection between the levers 130 and 140 thus acts to bring the levers into a position in which they can be connected before the lever 140 attains a high speed from the crank pin 120. The yielding connection also serves as a cushion and retarding means in stopping the rotation of the cam shaft. The camshaft may stop with the lever 140 in a position in which the pin 148 is below the 

